Apparatus for the treatment of petroleum oils



Us. L. GARTLANa APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMHH OF PETROLEUM OILS.

APPLICATION FILED MAH. 17,1919? WENEWED JAN. 2B, i922.

/mfentor www rasata naa', tana.

STEPHEN LOUIS GABTLAN, 0F TORONTU, UNTARIQCANADA.

AEPAB'ATUS FR THE TREATEJEENT OF PETROLEUM @KL-S,

vapplication n'led March 17, 1919, serial No. 238,152. Renewed January 2e, 197%; Serial lo. 5353,56@

LAN, a citizen of the United States of Ameril ca, residing at the city of Toronto, in the county ot York, and Province of ntario, Dominion of Cana-da, have invented an Apparatus for the Treatment of Petroleum Oils; and l'hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

rlhis invention relates to an apparatus by which petroleum oil may be converted into light hydrocarbon roducts by subjecting the oil to successive ieats increasing in temperature as the boiling point of the residual oil rises, expanding under sub-atmospheric pressure, the oil vapors given off at eachA heat, removing these vapors before the temperature is raised for the next successive heat and continuing the procedure until a cracking temperature is reached, then injecting steam into the oil vapors, compressing the oil vapors given 0H at the successive heat into liquefied products and collecting and combining all the products in a common receptacle.

F or an understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to ,the following del scription and to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure! l represents a diagrammatic view Otan apparatus suitable for the purpose of the invention, and Fig. 2 is horizontal section through the mixing tan r.

Like characters ot reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawinl s.

ga represents the retort, which is preferably of a cylindrical shape and ot dimensions suitable for the capacity ot the plant.

rlhe retort has a capacity considerably larger than that of the mixing tank. ln a plant that l have been operating on the batchl principle and having a capacity or about twenty barrels to the run, the diameter of the retort, which is made of boiler iron is teil feet, and the height about twelve reet, but these measurements and those given in connection with the other parts may vary Within wide limits, and are merely for the purpose of explaining the relations ot the receiving tank, retort, and compressor of' a plant that is now in operation. `ll do not desire to be limited to them nor the exact ratio vrepresented thereby.

diameter or' six feet and a height of -ten feet. This tank 1s connected' with the retort a by a suitable normally closed, valve-controlled pipe c, the pipe c being' about tour inches in i diameter for the rapid discharge ot `the mixv turevfrom the mixing tankvto the retort,fand connected to the mixing tank at,A or near .the bottom thereof, and discharging into the top ot-the retort a.

d represents a steam generator oit about 15.25 ll-ll. P. rlhis steam generator is provided vvith a twoinch steam pipe e extending into the mixing tank Z; and provided with outlets e arranged to so discharge the steam that it imparts'v a rotary movement to the matter within the tank. The steam pipe e, as shown in the dra-wing, preferably, extends rom the top of the steam generator d into the top of the mixing tank b and downwardly therethrough approximately to the bottom of the tank. l

The lower end of the steam pipe e is closed to create the necessary pressure through the outlets e', which preferably take the form of hollow arms extending ,radially from the steam pipe. vThese arms may either be bent or provided with elbowsfat their tree ends to so discharge the steam as to utilize its pressure to impart the revolving or rotary movement to the mass within the tank, the expansive action of the steam combined with the agitation causing it to emulsiiy, and the heat ot the steam raising the temperature of the mixture. lWhen sutlicient steam has been admitted to the mixing tank to raise the temperature of the oil in the tank to 400 centigrade, thevalve c is opened and the emulsied mixture is discharged from the mixing tank through the pipe c into the retort b. When the mixture enters the retort the vapors given o at or below 40 C. immediatel separate `from the mass, and 'expand within the retort, to be exhausted therefrom as hereinafter described.

f represents a compressor ot any suitable type and preferably jacketed for cooling purposes. For ample capacitytor a plantof the dimensions previously mentioned, the cylinder is twelve inches in diameter and the piston has a twelve inch stroke. llhe compressor f is connected with the retort by a tour inch pipe g through which the vapour or gas passes trom the retort to the compressor.

it represents a refrigerator connected with the compressor f by a pipe z'. rlDhe refrigerlll@ Miti

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ator has the form of about six hundred f eet of two inch tubing arranged in a serpentine shape7 but any other suitable arrangement having approximately the same condensing capacity will answer.

j represents a receiving tank, whlch has a storage capacity of about two hundred barrels, and into which the refrigerator h discharges and c represents a two inch pipe line leadinOr from the top of the receiving tank to the burners'l of the retort a and the burners m of' the superheater o, this superheater being connected with the steam generator d by a pipe 0 and with the retort a by a pipe 0".

The oil is introduced into the mixing tank b through the supply b which is about four inches in diameter and the steam is introduced into the same tank from the steam generator d by means of the steam pipe e, the admission of the steam into the mixing tank being by means of the outlets e', which are so arranged as to impart a revolving motion to the matter within the tank, during which7 the oil and the steam become intimately mixed. The introduction of the steam into the mixing tank raises the temperature ot the matter therein and when it attains 40 centigrade the valve c is opened and the mixture is discharged from the mixing tank into the retort where the light vapors and fixed gases' immediately separate from the mixture. vThese light vapors and fixed gases then pass from the retort through the compressor and refrigerator to the receiving tank, the condensable vapors being liquefied by the compressor and condenser during their passage. A pressure of approximately 125 lbs. er square inch is maintalned in the mixing tank to force the matter, through the pipe, to the retort until the mixing tank is emptied. The valve c is then closed to cut off any further supply of steam from this source to the retort. When the light vapors and fixed gases, previously mentioned, have passed from the` retort, the burners are lighted and the retort is heated to about 60 C. and the hydro-carbon matter in the retort 'is then converted into hydrocarbon vapor and this vapor passes from the retort to the compressor, where it is liquefied by compression or concentration and forced through the refrigerator to the receiving tank, the boiling of the hydro-carbon matter in the presence of steam'be'ing continued until the whole of it has been converted into vapor and gas.

As a concrete example, of the utility of the apparatus, it may be assumed that Mexican crude petroleum is being treated, this crude oil, hydro-carbon having an asphaltum base and being recognized as one of the most difficult of the crude petroleums to convert into the lighter hydro-carbons, particularly those of the naphtha type. This oil is introduced into the mixing tank b, and steam, supplied by the steam generator, is introduced into the mixing tank at approximately 125 lbs. pressure until it is intimately mixed with the crude petroleum, the admission of the steam being continued until the mixture of crude oil and steam attains a temperature of about 400 C. when 'the fixed gases and light naphtha vapors are ready to be given off. The mixtureof steam and oil is then forced from the mixing tank into the retort and the su ply of steam from the generator into't e mixing tank is cut off and no steam, other than that which has been admitted to the retort with the -oil to be treated, is permitted to enter the retort until its temperature has been raised to over 300o centigrade. The re tort is first heated to about 60o centigrade and, at this temperature, light naphtha vapours are given ofi. lhese naphtha vapours pass from the retort to the compressor, which liquefies them and forces them through the refrigerator to the receivingv tank.

`When the naphtha vapours have been given off, the temperature of the retort is raised to about 90o centigrade and, at this temperature, gasoline vapours are given ofiand pass to the compressor, which, as in the case of the light naphtha vapours, liquefies them land forces them through the refrigerating coils while under pressure to the receiving tank.

When the kerosene vapours commence, the temperature of the retort is gradually increased up to 300O centigrade, there being still sufficient uncondensed steam in the mass to convert these latter vapours into naphtha vapours, and these vapours pass from the retort through the compressor to the receiving tank as, and for the purpose, previously stated.

When a maintenance of the fiow of the vapors is found to require a further raising of temperat-ure above 300 C., steam is introduced from the steam generator through the superheater into the retort, the temperature for superheating the steam being increased to the same temperature as that of the retort, so that, when the steam enters the retort, it will readily break up or combine with the residual oil therein, the temperatures of the superheaters and the retort being gradually increased to correspond with the increase of the boiling point ranges of the residual matter inthe retort as the vapours are given off, until the whole of the original content of the retort has been converted into naphtha vapours.

In this way, everythmg, except the fixed gases, is collected in the receiving tank in the form of naphtha liquid and the fixed gases are passed over lto the burners and utilized as uel for heating the retort and the superheater.

t has. been ascertained in the practical operation of this method of treating oil, such as asphaltum base crude petroleum, or paraiiinbase crude petroleum, that at least 75% of the original matter treated can be recovered in the form of a high grade narphtha, averaging about 72 Baume.

he compressor valves at the commencement of the distillation are set for approximately 125 lbs. per square incli compression until the temperature in the retort has been increased to 300 centigrade, after that, the pressure in the compressor is gradually increased accordin to the increase of the' temperature of t e retort, the increase of pressure being about 25 lbs. per square inch for every 10()O of increase of temperature in the retort.

The action of the compressor operates to produce a sub-atmospheric pressure in the retort and permits of greater and more rapid expansion of the gases and, consequently, the rapid conversion of the matter into vapour.

With the exception of the iixed'gases, which are utilized for the heating of the retort and superheater, all of the matter in the retort is converted into liquid` and, in the treatment of the crude petroleum above mentioned, it is estimated that the liq'uid conte-nt of the receiving tank averages about seventy-tive per cent of the original hydrocarbon content of the mixing tank.

rllhe term naphtha is to be understood to include in its meaning all hydro-carbon compounds having a lower boiling point range and less specific gravity than kerosene or kerosene distillate.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pate-nt is:

An apparatus for convertin petroleum oil into light hydrocarbon pro ucts, which comprises a chamber, means for admitting oil and steam thereto to be mixed, a retort connected with said chamber into which the mixture is expanded, means for externally heating the retort, means for introducing superheated steam at Will to the retort, means for expanding the vapors given off under sub-atmospheric pressure, and compressing the vapors into liquefied products, and means for collecting and combining all the products in a common receptacle While still under pressure.

Toronto. Ont.` February 26, 1919.

STEPHEN LGUIS GARTLAN.

Signedin the ,presenceY of- CHAS/l-l. RICHES, FRANK W CLARKE.V 

